Blessing Box

11/17/17

"Bless, O Lord, this food to our use and us to thy service. Keep us ever mindful of the needs of others, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen."

Growing up as a child, this was the grace I learned to say before every meal. At first, each of us, my brothers and I, would rotate as to who was sitting in the 'grace chair' and had to say grace before the meal. It was always interesting to see how each of us said the same thing slightly differently. One of my brothers was a speed demon and said the words so fast we couldn't always understand what he was saying. Because of this, our family started a tradition of being mindful of the knees of others, not necessarily their needs... though as my Dad, a man with reoccurring knee problems, likes to say, everyone's knees do need the prayers and help.

As we near the Thanksgiving holiday and think about all the things we are thankful for in this world, we have to give thanks for the food we eat on a daily basis. Unfortunately, even in lovely Victorian Franklin, not everyone has enough to eat on a daily basis. St. John's is doing wonderful ministry to help all those who are in need of some food help by offering groceries at Shepherd's Green Community Food Pantry.

Another way St. John's is giving thanks this season and being mindful of the needs of others, is through our new Blessing Box. Through the leadership of the Vestry, the Blessing Box is now a place for non-perishable food ideas and personal care items to be exchanged in our community. People are invited to take a blessing if they need one, or leave one if they would like to share their gifts with others. You will find the new Blessing Box at the junction of the front sidewalk with the ramp sidewalk. It was built by Mark and the Vision Quest students and installed by them this week. Also, they built it at a height compatible for all, children, those in wheelchairs, tall adults, even those with knee problems.